Superfecta Betting

Superfecta Betting - Strategiesby Kenneth Strong of Predictem.com

Superfecta betting offers bettors the chance at a life-changing score for
a moderate outlay of cash. Five-figure superfecta payoffs occur on a weekly
basis, with 6-figure payouts not that uncommon, especially on horseracing's
biggest days - Kentucky Derby and Breeders' Cup.

The superfecta in the 2007 Kentucky Derby, won by 9/2 shot Street Sense,
paid $29,046.40 for a $2 ticket. In 2005, the Kentucky Derby was won by
50-1 shot Giacomo, triggering a monstrous $1 superfecta payoff of $864,253.50.
There were six winning tickets. At the 2006 Breeder's Cup there were
three 5-figure $2 superfecta payoffs and one 6-figure payoff of $113,911.80,
in the Breeder's Cup Sprint. That should be enough to convince you
that superfectas are worth going after - intelligently that is.

Superfecta betting requires that you select the first four finishers in
a race in exact order. Originally offered as a $1 minimum wager, which prevented
many smaller bettors from being able to effectively cover numerous superfecta
combinations, many tracks now offer $0.10 and $0.20 superfecta bets. This
has allowed even casual bettors a shot at cashing a big ticket.

The key to superfecta wagering is to cover as many of the probable outcomes
as possible without spending a fortune. This is not easy when you consider
that in an 8-horse field there are 1,680 (8 * 7 * 6 * 5) possible winning
superfecta combinations. A $1 box of all possible winning superfecta combinations
in an 8-horse field would cost you $1,680. A $0.20 or $0.10 superfecta box
would cost you one fifth or one tenth of the $1 box cost respectively.

While superfecta boxes do have their place in specific scenarios, they
are generally the most inefficient method of betting the superfecta, simply
because they allocate the same amount of money to every possible combination.
This is out of line with the actual winning probabilities of each combination,
and thus results in inefficiencies in the superfecta betting pools that
smart bettors can take advantage of. Additional superfecta wagering strategies
include straight superfecta bets, superfecta wheels and superfecta part
key wheels.

Straight Superfecta Betting

The simplest of all superfecta wagering strategies, a straight superfecta
bet covers the least amount of combinations for the least amount of money.
A straight superfecta bet 2-3-5-6, usually offered in a minimum denomination
of $2, would cost you $2, and would win only if the final order of finish
was 2-3-5-6. Of course, this would give you only one of the possible 1,680
combinations in an 8-horse field. Not much coverage, not much outlay of
cash, and not much chance of winning.

Superfecta Boxes

Boxing all horses in the superfecta is not only cost-prohibitive; it is
also dumb in 95 percent of cases - rating each possible combination
as having an equal probability of winning. Of course, if you were absolutely
certain that the two favorites would finish out of the money in an 8-horse
field, you could box the remaining six horses and make a profit. A $1 6-horse
superfecta box covering 360 combinations would cost you $360 (6 * 5 * 4
* 3). If both favorites finished out of the money, and assuming the superfecta
betting pools were of reasonable size, the superfecta would likely pay more
than $360 for a $1. You could also play the smaller $0.10 or $0.20 superfecta
boxes offered by some tracks, for one tenth or one fifth of the cost of
a $1 ticket, but you would also only collect one tenth or one fifth of the
total $1 payoff respectively.

Realistically, the only time to play a large superfecta box is when you
believe one and preferably two of the favorites will finish out of the money.
Despite the obvious inefficiencies of superfecta box betting, it remains
the most popular form of superfecta wagering among casual players and even
decent handicappers, primarily because it requires very little mental effort.
If you do find a race where the favorites look like they can finish out
of the money - which would make the superfecta box strategy profitable -
the costs of such boxes follow below.

$1 Superfecta Box Costs

(Divide by 5 for $0.20 superfecta box cost and by 10 for $0.10 superfecta
box cost)

A superfecta wheel keying one horse with a number of others to finish in
the remaining three positions allows you to lower your costs based on good
handicapping. While not the most efficient method of betting the superfecta,
a superfecta wheel is a much better option than a superfecta box, as it
allows you to reduce your costs based on probabilities. For example, if
you like one horse to finish first or second, and can narrow the remainder
of the field down to five contenders, you could play your key horse to finish
first and second over your remaining five contenders in second, third and
fourth and first, third and fourth.

A $1 superfecta wheel keying the 1 horse to finish first with 2,6,7,8,9
in any of the second, third and fourth positions would provide you with
60 possible combinations at a cost of $60. You could also key the 1 horse
in a $1 superfecta wheel in the second position with any of 2,6,7,8,9 to
finish first, third and fourth at a similar cost of $60. The total cost
of a superfecta wheel keying your main horse in first and second with five
other horses to finish in the remaining three positions would be $120. Compare
this to boxing six horses in a $1 box at a cost of $360. Obviously the more
cost efficient superfecta bet is to key a horse. Below are the costs involved
when keying one horse with a set number of others in $1 superfecta wheels.
Again, divide by five or 10 if you are playing $0.20 or $0.10 superfecta
tickets respectively.

The most efficient method of playing the superfecta is to find more than
one key horse and use other multiple contenders to fill out the remaining
positions in the superfecta. In the early days of superfecta wagering, before
$0.20 and $0.10 superfecta bet minimums were in place, this strategy allowed
many sharp $1 superfecta bettors to take their shot at pool scooping (taking
the whole superfecta betting pool) at a reasonable cost, while also giving
them numerous combinations that many other bettors simply would not have.
This was an especially productive strategy at smaller tracks where the superfecta
pools were decent yet not large enough to cover every possible combination.

For example, in a small superfecta betting pool, let’s say you liked
horses 2 (3-1), 4 (5-1) and 10 (12-1) in a 10 horse field. You might play
a $1 superfecta part wheel 2,4,10 with 2,4,10 with 2,4,10 with all, which
would include 42 combinations at a cost of $42.

In the days of pool scooping, you would also play your above three horses
with ALL in all remaining spots, to in an effort to cover as many combinations
as possible. For example, to key your three main horses with ALL others
in all possible spots, the superfecta tickets would be as follows:

· 2,4,10 with 2,4,10 with 2,4,10 with ALL = 42 $1 combinations at
a cost of $42

· 2,4,10 with 2,4,10 with ALL with 2,4,10 = 42 $1 combinations at
a cost of $42

· 2,4,10 with ALL with 2,4,10, with 2,4,10 = 42 $1 combinations
at a cost of $42

· ALL with 2,4,10 with 2,4,10 with 2,4,10 = 42 $1 combinations at
a cost of $42

Total cost for 168 of the most probable $1 superfecta combinations = $168

In the above scenario, your three main key horses would all have to finish
somewhere in the first four positions, but you would be surprised how many
times this simple strategy produces one of the few winning superfecta tickets
– and thus a large profit. In fact, in the above scenario, you might
also take the whole superfecta pool without having all the correct horses
on your ticket.

For example, let’s say the 8 horse at 47-1 wins the race with horse
2 finishing second, horse 4 finishing third and horse 5 finishing fourth.
So the order of finish is 8-2-4-5. You’re holding a ticket that reads
ALL-2-4-10. So you have the first three finishers but not the fourth. In
some cases, because of the small pools and the inability of other bettors
to cover all possible superfecta combinations, nobody has a winning ticket
on the combination 8-2-4-5. In this case, the whole superfecta pool would
be paid out to anyone holding the ticket 8-2-4-ALL – which you have
with your ticket that reads ALL with 2,4,10 with 2,4,10 with 2,4,10.

While the above scenario is not as common as it once was since the advent
of the $0.20 and $0.10 superfecta minimums, it still occurs on a regular
enough basis to make the strategy profitable, assuming you can select the
right three horses to finish somewhere in the first four positions.

Another favorite superfecta wagering strategy is to key a pair of horses
to finish in certain positions with a number of others. For example:

Total cost for 80 of the most probable $1 superfecta combinations = $80

In the above scenario you have played the two horses identified by your
handicapping as the most probable winners to finish first and second and
first and third in the superfecta with your other contenders in the remaining
positions at a cost of only $80 (and less if you are able to play $0.20
and $0.10 superfectas).

Contrast this to the lazy bettor’s superfecta box of seven horses
(no key horses as determined by handicapping in the above scenario) at a
cost of $840. You have reduced your costs by $760 ($840 - $80) while also
having a great shot at getting the superfecta.

In he above scenario, let’s say your winning $1 superfecta ticket
paid $1,000. If you had played a 7-horse box at a cost of $840 your profit
would be $160 ($1,000-$840). With the part key superfecta wheel your profit
would be $920 ($1,000 - $80). Which would you rather have?

While you will cash a lower number of winning superfecta tickets using
the wheel and part-wheel superfecta wagering strategies, your net profit
will be much higher – assuming your handicapping is relatively sound.

Good handicapping is essential, but creativity in structuring your bets
to cover the highest number of probable combinations for the least amount
of money is the real key to profitable superfecta betting.

Predictem.com provides horse handicapping and horse betting information and should be considered for entertainment purposes only. While some forms of online gambling can be considered skill games in which the house advantage doesn't exist, there is always risk involved when placing bets of any kind. We highly recommend that you keep your behavior under control as problem gambling is a real issue that you want no part of. Furthermore, before gambling, you should check with your local, state and federal government to insure that partaking in such activity is legal within your jurisdiction.